MUZAFFARABAD, Feb 23: The alumni of a charity school were exhorted on Monday to prove by their words and deeds that the Muslim youth believed in the welfare of entire humanity and wanted to move forward on the path to peace, progress and prosperity shoulder to shoulder with the rest of the world.

The message was given by Tanveerul Islam, former chairman United Jihad Council, an alliance of Kashmiri Mujahideen groups, to the former students of Sawera School at their assembly in the town of Patikka, some 18 kilometres north of here.

The event held under the aegis of Sawera Foundation, a Kashmir-based non-governmental organisation striving to impart quality education to the destitute, particularly the orphans of Kashmir conflict, was also attended by parents, teachers and notables of the area.

The rented buildings of the school at Karika had collapsed during the 2005 earthquake, killing 19 students and injuring several others. The school now functions in tents as construction of its own seismic-resistant building on a two-kanal land leased out to it by the previous government has hit snags due to opposition by some government officials.

Mr Islam regretted that while the government of AJK had gifted precious land to elite educational institutions, his organisation was yet to get a similar favour despite genuine needs.

He also criticised international NGOs for “working in the earthquake-hit zone on the basis of likes and dislikes” and said despite showing expenditures to the tunes of millions of rupees, hundreds of children were still compelled to receive education under the open sky.

He said his organisation was striving to guide the younger generation towards right direction in the face of flawed education system which instilled extremism and intolerance among them.

“The objective of our organisation is to impart purpose-oriented education, free from prejudices of race, religion and economic and social status,” he said.

He stressed on the students to keep themselves abreast of the developments on Kashmir issue as their future was linked to it.

Others who spoke on the occasion included APHC leader Shaukat Wani, local social and political leaders Salim Awan, Farman Shah, Nighat Mahmood, Ejaz Butt and Iftikhar Siddiqui.